Falkirk

The Kelpies

We spent the day visiting the nearby town of Falkirk. Two famous items drew our attention. The Kelpies (see photo), rising 100 feet, are the largest horse statues in the world. The statues represent the lineage of the heavy horse of Scottish industry and economy, pulling the wagons, ploughs, barges that shaped the geographical layout of the area. "Kelpie" is the name of a mythical water horse.

The second item was the Falkirk Wheel, which is the only fully rotating boat lift in the world; think of it a tall Ferris wheel for boats. Instead of traditional canal locks, which can only lift about 10 feet at a time, the wheel connects two canals that are separated by 100 feet of elevation. Full sized canal boats float into either the top or the bottom of the wheel, watertight doors close behind the boats, the wheel turns carrying the boats (water and all), and 5 minutes later the watertight doors open that the boats go on their way. Way cool.